Nissan Sunny Revealed in China, Foreshadows Next Versa

Nissan previewed the next-generation Versa in China this week, taking the wraps off of the Chinese-market Sunny at the China International Automobile Exposition in Guangzhou. Now that we’ve seen it, we wouldn’t mind if they put the wraps back on. Although Nissan is officially mum on what badge this car will wear when it arrives […]

Justin Berkowitz

Dec 21, 2010

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Nissan previewed the next-generation Versa in China this week, taking the wraps off of the Chinese-market Sunny at the China International Automobile Exposition in Guangzhou. Now that we’ve seen it, we wouldn’t mind if they put the wraps back on.

Although Nissan is officially mum on what badge this car will wear when it arrives in the U.S., information previously released along with a Versa design sketch said the car would debut at this Chinese auto show. That’s about all the confirmation we need. Just for reference, the “Sunny” badge—which, sadly, won’t arrive on an American Nissan—historically has adorned Nissan’s C-segment Sentra model outside the U.S. (The name also appears on a delightful “orange drink,” but that’s beside the point.)

The Sunny shown here is wearing China-friendly sedan garb, but in light of the success of the Versa hatch in the States, you can bet on Nissan’s next U.S.-market subcompact offering both sedan and five-door configurations. The car looks to have melted—let’s hope the hatch cleans up that rear overhang. Inside, Nissan’s usual mix of round and slightly weird shapes culminates in a humongous climate-control center that reminds us of at once of Optimus Prime’s Matrix of Leadership and that thing in Iron Man’s chest. The rest of the cabin looks like a nice upgrade compared to the current Versa’s interior.

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Under the Sunny’s hood you’ll find a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission. There’s no guarantee that this powertrain will make it to the U.S., as manufacturers often sell similar cars in the U.S. and in China with completely different engines and transmissions. For reference, the current Versa uses 1.6- and 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines. A CVT is all but guaranteed, as the funny transmissions have been deployed throughout the Nissan lineup in lieu of traditional torque-converter automatics.

We expect the U.S.-market Versa to debut at an auto show this spring—probably Chicago or New York. Stay tuned for more info, posted as we get it.